Market demand for smaller and more functional electronic devices has driven the development of semiconductor devices, packages, and recently, entire systems disposed on a chip. Many electronic devices, such as cellular telephones, employ a variety of design-specific electronic components. However, the space available inside the electronic devices is limited, particularly as the electronic devices are made smaller.
Most semiconductor package solutions provide a chip coupled to a carrier and one or more electronic components coupled to the carrier adjacent to the chip. Carriers, or interposers, are an additional component to the package, and add both weight and thickness to the package solution. Some semiconductor package solutions provide a wafer level package singulated from a wafer and including a chip that is not carried by a package interposer. A bottom portion of these wafer level packages are soldered to a board or other electronic device. It is difficult to view the electrical solder/connection formed between the bottom portion of the package and the board when inspecting the assembled devices.
Package manufacturers have a desire to fabricate semiconductor packages having an economy of scale that are suited to meet the needs of consumers. Industrial consumers have a desire to efficiently attach semiconductor packages to boards and quality-check the boards for performance and function prior to sale. Both the manufacturers and the consumers of these advanced semiconductor devices desire devices that are reduced in size and yet have increased device functionality.